Baruch College Holds 2018 Commencement Ceremony

Students Take First Steps to Becoming Future Leaders in their Chosen Fields

June 4, 2018

Baruch College conferred 5,024 degrees in business, business administration, public and international affairs, education, and arts and sciences at its Commencement on May 30, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Class of 2018 included more than 3,800 undergraduate and more than 1,200 graduate degree recipients.

Baruch College President Mitchel B. Wallerstein, PhD, presided over the exercises, and David Christy, PhD, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, served as the master of ceremonies.

Videos:  To view the full ceremony, visit here. A recap of the 2018 Commencement is available here.

“An American Dream Machine”

In his opening remarks, President Wallerstein welcomed graduating students, their families and friends, returning alumni from the classes of 1958 and 1968, and members of the faculty. He spoke of Baruch as “an incredible institution and a stellar college” within the nation’s largest urban university system, the City University of New York.

“Baruch College is an American dream machine (whose) students represent the world,” said President Wallerstein. “You have what it takes to be a leader in your chosen field and contribute to your community and society,”

Also addressing the students were distinguished guests U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and James B. Milliken, Chancellor of The City University of New York.

Commencement Speaker and Honorary Recipients

Keynote speaker Jane Chu, PhD, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who received an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree, told the Class of 2018 that their Baruch College education has instilled upon them the necessary qualities to be future leaders.

Dr. Chu said “as leaders we have a great opportunity to help ourselves, as well as others to be creative and not remain stuck, to keep moving, and to take those kind of creative risks that are necessary to making a positive impact on others and bring out the good in us.”

Austin W. Marxe (’65), who graduated with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration, was also awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree. Marxe is the president and managing director of AWM Investment Company, a firm he founded in 1991 which supports small companies that would otherwise not be financeable.

In 2016, Baruch Colleges received a $30 million gift from Marxe, the largest single gift in the history of Baruch College.

Degrees Conferred

The Zicklin School of Business conferred 789 Master of Business Administration and Master of Science degrees, as well as 2,736 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees.

The Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs conferred 274 Master of Public Affairs and Master of Science in Education degrees, and 52 Bachelor of Science degrees.

The George and Mildred Weissman School of Arts and Sciences conferred 161 Master of Arts degrees, and 986 Bachelor of Arts degrees.

At a separate CUNY ceremony held a week prior to Commencement at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, Baruch College awarded seven doctoral degrees in business to students who completed their coursework and dissertations under the supervision of the faculty.

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